Pregnancy is a time when the focus needs to be on the health of the mother and the health of the baby. Prenatal vitamins and a healthy diet are an extremely important basis of prenatal care.
It is not advisable for pregnant women to lose weight during pregnancy, but Herbalife nutrition products (including Formula 1 & Formula 2) and the targeted nutrition products are not only safe for use during pregnancy but are used by many pregnant women around the world as a source of great, healthy, nutritional supplementation in addition to a healthy diet. The notice on the Formula 1 Nutritional Shake Mix label concerning pregnant and lactating women consulting their physicians before using the products is a result of a concern that pregnant women not be on a weight loss program during pregnancy.
MY HERBALIFE PREGNANCY STORY
I am currently 27 weeks pregnant (10 JULY 2006) and I am enjoying my pregnancy so much more than I though I would when I initially found out I was pregnant. This is my second pregnancy, but happens to be very different from the first one. I was also a working mother-to-be during the 1st pregnancy 4 years ago, however, I took very little care of my nutritional needs as I was running a busy Call Centre and had very little knowledge about impact of not eating 3 regular nutritionally balanced meals, consuming minimum 2 litres of water a day and enjoying appropriate supplementation. That was 2 years before I was introduced to Herbalife.
Those who knew me well at the time of my 1st pregnancy will remember the sickness and resenting food in the beginning and then cravings later on especially after the birth, the poor energy levels during and especially after pregnancy (I could not force myself out of bed in the morning most of the time), inability to lose weight gained during pregnancy that also weakened my back and caused regular and painful spasms (with more absence from work), I was on several courses of antibiotics from the start of pregnancy until the end as I was constantly having infections and flue together with colds, headaches and fatigue and was off work on more occasions than any boss would tolerate (well, mine did, luckily). My son, as a result, was born with a poor immune system and developed eczema within the first couple of months of being born which turned infected on a few occasions and he had to go several antibiotic treatments within the 1st year. Not a great start at all!
What is different with this pregnancy?
I am still a working mother/ mother-to-be and probably working more than ever as I currently have a full time job and I also run my part time Herbalife business (needless to say, with full time attitude) and, on average, work over 12 hours per day. My attitude to healthy eating has completely changed and I have developed healthy relationship with food through my Herbalife business as I gained neccessary knowledge to allow me to help myself and others. I am a lot healthier and stronger mother-to-be as my body and my baby get 100% of daily nutrition each and every day thanks to Herbalife Cellular Nutrition together with healthy eating habits that I developed over time. My energy levels were only slightly down in the afternoons in my 1st semester, however, I am generally feeling fantastic; have not had sickness or any illnesses to this day (so, no medications); my blood, urine, blood pressure seem to be perfect.
Having lost the weight from 1st pregnancy within first 3,5 months on the products (7kg/ 14 lbs) and kept it off all up until this pregnancy, I have, so far, again gained 8kg/ 16 lbs. No worries about taking it off when the time comes! Saying that, I am a lot leaner compared to my 1st pregnancy as I lost a lot of body fat that I carried even before the 1st pregnancy.
Currently, I take 1-2 healthy protein shakes a day (Formula 1 Nutritional Shake Mix containing all the balanced nutrition together with minerals, vitamins, micronutrients, ...) with or without cereal (high protein - high fibre - low sugar cereal) with Soya milk, 2 regular meals that are protein based with plenty steamed veggies, 2 healthy snacks (fruit or Herbalife low fat - low sugar - high protein bars), and, with each meal, I also take Formula 2 Multivitamin Complex, Herbal Complex Vitamin C and Iron Tablets, Herbalifeline (purest form of Omega 3 Oils), XtraCal Tablets, Cell Activator Tablets, Herbal Aloe Concentrate drink and a few cups a day of Herbal Beverage.
And that is what makes the whole difference in how I feel each and every day! What you put in, you really get out!
UPDATE TO MY STORY AT 8 MONTHS OF PREGNANCY, Dec 2006
These are the pictures of me at 3 weeks before the birth, Christmas 2006. Excellent energy levels, 13 kilos of total weight gain; I absolutely loved being pregnant... Just a little bit more to go...MY POST PREGNANCY STORY, 21 MARCH 2007
Firstly, here is a picture of me 6 months after my first pregnancy, July/ August 2003. I have hardly lost any pregnancy weight. On the contrary, I believed I even gained some after the birth. My energy levels were..., well, non-existent! I just felt tired all the time and my back suffered frequent spasms... It was in Aug 2004 when I found Herbalife, 1 year after this picture was taken and it was only then when I lost all the weight.
Know-How and Commitment go together! Although having a baby is a wonderful experience for any woman, after enduring nine months of pregnancy symptoms, including 5-6 months on average of extra weight, it's quite natural to want to normalize your weight and regain your pre-pregnancy shape as soon as possible.
Life after giving birth can typically throw up a new set of problems, which can cut across your plans to lose weight. It took me nearly two years to lose pregnancy weight gained with my first pregnancy. I am astonished to see how little it took with my 2nd pregnancy... The difference with the 2nd time around was in the Know How and Commitment...
Within the first couple of months I was delighted to find out that I managed to lose most of my pregnancy weight. It took me 18 -24 months to lose all the weight the first time and even that did not happen before I found Herbalife.
I gained total of 14 kilos during this pregnancy (around 2 stone). After the birth, my weight was at 65 kilos, already 9 kilos less and, 6 weeks later, it was already at 61kg. I continued taking all the products throughout the pregnancy: Formula 1 Nutritional Shaked Mix, Formula 2 Multivitamin and Multimineral Herbal Complex, Vitamin C and Iron Herbal Complex, Xtra Cal tablets, Herbalifeline, Herbal Beverage, FloraFibre. I can really say I had a dream pregnancy and, of course, I continue with taking all the Herbalife nutrition I did before and during pregnancy. My baby is very healthy and there is a noticeable difference compared to my first son when he was born.
It is a great feeling to be in control of your weight as it is a major issue with a lot of people. Saying that, I think everyone can achieve their ideal weight and health if there is a long term committment to their health. Without committment, not even the best of the weight management and nutritional solutions are going to make any difference.
This is a picture of me 1 year after my 2nd pregnancy (Jan 2008): I have lost ALL my pregnancy weight, body fat is at 22%, weight: 58kg. I am currently training for London Triathlon 2008. Feeling fantastic and very happy that my baby just loves the shakes too!Here are the products that are safe to be used during the pregnancy:
Formula 1 Nutritional Shake Mix
Formula 2 Multivitamin Herbal Complex
Herbalifeline - Omega 3 Marine Lipid Complex
Herbal Complex Vitamin C & Iron
XtraCal - Calcium and Vitamin D Tablets
RoseOx - Antioxidant
Cell Activator - Energy Production
Herbal Aloe Concentrate - Smooth Digestion
FloraFibre - Extra Fibre and Friendly Bacteria
Protein Bars and Soya Beans - Healthy Protein Snacks
FibreBond - Smooth Waste Elimination
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Research done at the University of New South Wales (UNSW) has highlighted a link between childhood obesity and a mother's diet before and during pregnancy. The work in animals proves that overweight expectant mothers are more likely to have babies with more body fat, who are at greater risk of diabetes and lipid metabolic disorders later in life. Previous research shows that around 30 percent of women who become pregnant are overweight...
The research, published in the journal of Endocrinology, shows pups from obese mother rats who were fed more milk are almost twice as heavy as those born to lean mothers with a regular milk consumption at weaning age. The cafeteria diet used to feed the mother rats is designed to approximate a western diet which people eat everyday at home. It is of high fat content, and palatable with a lot of variety. The research found that the mother rats ate more than double the calories of the control group. Professor Morris commented:
"Maternal obesity and overfeeding early on in life caused significant changes in the chemicals that regulate appetite, which may suggest that the babies were programmed to eat differently from those born from lean mothers. Appetite is controlled by particular centres within the brain. Other research in this field suggests that maternal food preferences during pregnancy can affect the food preferences of offspring. As brain control of appetite is likely set early in life, nutrient availability in the fetal or early post-natal period may contribute to adult obesity."
The work also highlighted for the first time, different impacts of pre and postnatal overfeeding on fat accumulation, circulating lipid levels, glucose metabolism, and brain appetite regulators. In a separate paper, the same UNSW research group found that animals that were slightly undernourished in their early life had a head start on health. The research, which is to be published in the International Journal of Obesity, also shows that pups that were undernourished remained lighter as adults, while those that were over-fed as babies continued to be fatter as adults. Professor Morris also commented:
"The less milk the babies had – and the lighter they were – the higher were levels of a hormone which is known to be protective of cardiovascular disease. We know that undernutrition has an effect on longevity and this research seems to support this."
Another similar research from the University of Cincinnati and the Medical College of Georgia published online in The FASEB Journal suggests that pregnant women should think twice about high-fat foods. Scientists found that female mice fed high fat diets were more likely to have oversized offspring (a risk factor for overweight and obesity) because fat causes the placenta to go into "overdrive" by providing too many nutrients to the fetus. Helen N. Jones, Ph.D., first author of the study has commented:
"Our model may one day lead to dietary recommendations for mothers who are entering pregnancy overweight or obese. We hope this research will ultimately help reduce the number of babies suffering from birth injuries, decrease C-section rates, and lower the risk of babies becoming overweight or obese later in life."
Yet another interesting study published in the journal of Paediatrics, suggests that a child's weight may be influenced by his mother even before he is actually born. Results of the study, which included more than 3,000 children, suggest that a child is far more likely to be overweight at a very young age – at 2 or 3 years old – if his mother was overweight or obese before she became pregnant. And there's a good chance that an overweight child will stay overweight for the rest of his or her life.
A mother's weight within a month or two before she became pregnant had the greatest impact on a child's weight at all three weight measurement points. If a woman was overweight before she became pregnant, her child was as much as three times more likely to be overweight by age 7 compared to a child whose mother was not overweight or obese. There was a significant relationship between a mother's weight prior to pregnancy and her child's weight. The risk that a child would be overweight at a young age increased with the degree of the mother's obesity.
Pamela Salsberry, the study's lead author and an associate professor of nursing at Ohio State University commented:
“Weight persists with time, so a child who is overweight by her second birthday is more likely to be overweight at a later age. Prevention of childhood obesity needs to begin before a woman ever gets pregnant. Obesity continues to rise in adults, and that risk has increased in children, too. Interventions should begin immediately for children who are already overweight at these young ages.”
Obesity increases the risk of many diseases and health conditions, including: hypertension, osteoarthritis (breakdown of cartilage and its underlying bone in a joint), dyslipidemia (high total cholesterol, high levels of triglycerides), type 2 diabetes, coronary heart disease, stroke, gallbladder disease, sleep apnea and respiratory problems, and some cancers.
Adopted from articles from Science Daily
